I wake early, eager with anticipation for an excursion down to the marsh. I step outside to a sleepy sun peeking through the trees and gentle breezes whispering between the pines. My ears perk, delighted with the various joyful tunes of an avian chorus. In the distance, a proud rooster crows ... ah, country living. Making my way through the deep forest on a roughly trod deer trail, I am careful to avoid the ever unpleasant poison ivy plants. I wander along a shallow ravine blanketed in fresh green undergrowth. As I near the marsh, it is as if the radio tuning dial has been changed. The previous station featured flute-like trills of House Wrens, clear, whistled melodies of Northern Cardinals and a bright, sing-song aria from a lone Scarlet Tanager. The new station showcases bouncy, sweet lilts sung by Yellow Warblers, reedy musical tunes and metallic tinks from Red-winged Blackbirds and comical trumpeting honks of Sandhill Cranes.
Spying brightness up ahead, I part the densely leaved branches to a forest of weatherworn cattails and burping frogs. Stepping gingerly atop the spongy marsh floor, a magical scene appears before my eyes. The rising sun casts it's golden warmth upon a marsh filled with budding slough flora and tattered cattails. Bright, fluttering gold speckles the wetlands. I situate myself in amongst 10 foot tall cattails, along the edge of a meandering stream that hosts a variety of wildlife including frogs, turtles, ducks, beavers and Sandhill Cranes. I quietly stand and observe ... What follows are a few of my golden moments at the marsh.
A Yellow Warbler seeks the perfect seed
A Yellow Warbler sings a merry tune
A Common Yellowthroat perches amongst the cattails
A Yellow Warbler looks out over the marsh
An American Goldfinch shows off his vibrant feathers
A Common Yellowthroat joins in the chorus
A female Yellow Warbler croons a pretty melody
The lovely plumage of a Yellow Warbler
A Yellow Warbler pauses on a flowering limb
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